The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-04
The Haddock Murder.

Inc haudOck uurOers
Rev. r. Y. Hunter, Of the Seventh Presby-
terrain Church. preached to a very largo congre-
cation at the Seventh Presbyterian Church last
night. He had for his theme. ''Who Murdered
the Rev. Mr.. Haddock2" and took for his text
the eleventh verse of the thirty-frst chapter of
Job, For this is an henious crime; yea it is an
iniquIty to be punished by the judges eva
take this text in its connection" said he, "and
apply it to the crime of the liquor traffic. The
business is an evil from the first the last; not
that it is crime per SO, but the business has
lent itself to every immortality, to every indie
cency to evil methods, and to corrupt prac tees
until it is the mother of every crime. The
American people are the judges who will punish
the traffic by and By Columns have been writ
ten concerning the assassination of the Rev.
Haddock. He was pastor of an NJ. e. Church in
Sioux City. and highly esteemed by the better
class of people. especially for his courage and
zeal In advocating the enforcement OF law, and
and the prosecution of men connected with the
liquor business. Impeled by high sense
of duty he undertook to aid the
Law and Order League of his city
to close up the saloons that were openly and de-
family violating the law. The large majority of
towns in the State had sufficient moral element
to enforce it, but Sioux City was an exception
He collected evidence and procured injunctions
against leading men engaged in the traffic. On
the 1st of August last some fifty informatons
were pending in the court of his county and ex-
element became intense. On the night of Aug.
Mr.. Haddock had gone to the country to pro-
cure some evidence in liquor case to be tried
the next day. The liquor interests had as the
evidence shows, raised fund for the purpose of
employing some characterless person to murder
him. More than dozen men, saloon keepers
and bummers seemed to have discovered that
the minister out of the city, and they
Law wait for him. AS he went from the train
to his home, after 10 o'clock at night. he was
murdered by drunken bully. The courts are
now trying to discover who the individual was
who fired the fatal shot. To us it matters but
little We know already who murdered the
man. The evidence has made that plain. 1t
was the rum traffic. Its garments are al
ready stained with human blood In this trial
it is certain that there was premeditated at
tempt to encourage lawlessness. The majority
of saloon-keepers are indictable at any time
LET US turn to our own city for illustrations
of the principle. Last Sabbath alone furnished
sufficient number: One saloon on Wash
ington street was kept open and men were al
lowed to enter when policeman safe dis
lance away. No sooner would he return than
the blinds were thrown up, and the crowd rushed
out the door. But thanks to a vgant
police superintendent who had the nerve to
place a sentinel at the door. Here was an at
.empt not only to break moral law, but statu-
tory law, and the man who owns this place prides
himself that he holds the municipal government
in his grasp. AS another illustration we have
but to refer to the underhand methods of that
man who succeeded in procuring license for
saloon the corner of Tennessee and
Seventh streets. These men will stoop to any
methods, no matter what. They will engage in
any treachery to gain their point Take another
illustration-that reading and literary society
formed in saloon. Allow your Imagination to
picture out those literary saoonists and bum
mers reading from Lord Bacon, Shakespeare,
the Psalms of David then turning to the keg of
beer, which stands hard by and wetting their
threats. Then that collection box! We wonder
that these people did not proceed to organize a
church, and take barrel for a pulpit, engage in
prayer take up n collection and get drunk.
The saloon-men in Sioux City resorted TO violent
means. 1t was determined to resist thelaw and,
If necessary, to murder the man that assaulted
their lawlessness- The spirit of the traffic is
the same everywhere. These men would take
the same steps in Indianapolis if they dared do
it. take it that this murder of the Rev. Mr..
| Haddock is a fair illustration of the traffic
| 1t is immoral in its influence and
nature. The saloon is the hotbed of crime; it is
| the college for tine education of criminals.
| Eighty per cent of the criminals are brought to
their crime through the influence of this traffic.
1.-The power that murdered Haddock is the
/ enemy of prosperity and the bosom friend of
| poverty and want. One hundred and forty
eight thousand eight hundred and eighty eight
are engaged in the manufacture of liquors in this
/ country. Allowing two men for every saloon,
/ and Alb 42o men are engaged in the retail bust
ness. Thus total of 563. 97l men are daily en-.
gagged in selling liquors. If this army of over a
half million did absolutely nothing it would be
absolutely better for the country. There are
manufactured every year $1,000. 600 gallons oil
whisky. and 100000 men go down in this river
annually. and along its banks are left an army
OF paupers, criminals, tramps. idiots insane and
| bankrupt people. All good citizens and al
moral people will say the saloon must go. and i
is going. Indiana is in the shade, but the ligh
is breaking BY and by little boss and NJ
| aggregation of saloon men will control the poll
tics and the morals of city and Of our com
munity.a
A Methodist Conference.